Key Information

Simon Woodbridge Slams SNUB

Simon Woodbridge, Leader of Broadland District Council, wrote in the EDP about 'tough choices for the whole community'. However, he used his letter to attempt to squirm out of yet another earlier promise - that of 'no infrastructure - no eco-town'. He has already tried to wriggle out of his promise that no development would take place if there was enough local opposition. Now he is using the new government as an excuse do push on and do what BDC has always wanted. This has nothing to do with governments or local communities - it has far more to do with the aspirations of certain councillors!

He obviously has not listened to anything that SNUB has said over the past few years as, if he had, he would know that SNUB is NOT opposed to development or growth in the region. What SNUB does oppose is large scale development which would see the destruction of farmland and woodland and which would deprive villages and hamlets of the development they need to sustain local communities.

SNUB supports the work of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) who have recently joined with partners to promote the building of affordable housing in rural communities to keep villages alive.

The scale of development for proposed 'growth triangle' is far greater than the actual needs of this area and will see many people actually having to move away from their current communities in other parts of the county and also other parts of the country to what will be a huge new town sitting at the edge of Norwich. This would be "hugely detrimental to many families" to quote Mr Woodbridge!

4 comments:

Seemed to me the words of a desperate man. Blame everyone else. In truth the Council has not listened to anyone other than its own advisers. Do they yet realise they have made a major error of judgement? I guess it might just have occurred to some of them on the Council; and now it has to be the new Government, the Planning Inspectorate or the Community Group who are responsible. SNUB are just the easiest target.The use of such intemperate and unfounded allegations is mildly amusing, or it would be if the circumstances the Council has led us to were not so serious.They are now trying to botch up a Joint Core Strategy that was always flawed and which SNUB campaigned against. With a consultation which is itself ever more flawed and to be held whilst everyone is away on holiday.

I asked him at the Rackheath meeting in April - how could this local opposition have possibly fallen short of what was needed to block this. His answer showed that he had no intention of listening to local residents "I am not here to represent you" - the council leader later said. The Broadland Conservative leadership are totally isolated - it is time they admitted it, changed and moved on

Letter said"The council has to look after the whole community and inevitably that means compromises. it also has to look to the future - predict demand for jobs and houses and how communities will change. the council has been clear that there is a need for more jobs and more homes. We were also clear that if there was no infrastructure no growth should happen. Of course that was at the time of top down targets and planning by a labour government. In that position if the labour government did not fund infrastructure many Broadland young people would have to leave the area to get a job and a home. That stance would please Mr Lindsay and other SNUB members but would be hugely detrimental to many families. we did not do it for that reason; it was to put pressure on the government. However, we now have a new government that has opened the Treasury coffers and found a huge debt.So the new government has a completely new stance on planning. It recognises that the housing and jobs need has not gone away just because it has revoked regional housing and job targets. The government believes that planning decisions should be taken locally and that local communities need incentives to agree to new growth. the government also recognises that the construction industry needs work. So that coupled with housing and jobs needs makes this something that should be addressed urgently. the council will listen to all sections of the community but - in finding the best course- will not please everyone all of the time."

Signs of them listening to anyone opposed to their urbanisation of NE Norwich are non- existent. If you are opposed to the inappropriate growth being forced upon us, write to your local councillor, MP, Eric Pickles MP, Grant Shapps MP and David Cameron!We have to make our voices heard.